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Pioneer information and story provided by Hal Reeder, to SUP Library on April 13, 2016. Story written by Isabell May Tinsley Johnson, (granddaughter of Lucy Ward) from the article titled “A Pioneer Gristmill and The Coles that Built it”
Lucy Ward was born, May 1, 1833, London, England and died March 19, 1920, Ogden, Utah. (per Familysearch.org)
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Lucy Ward had a superior education and one who was true to herself, and one of God’s chosen children. Her father and mother and sister, Elizabeth, had passed way not long before she came to America. She came in the fall of 1855 and stayed in New York City that winter and worked at a millinery shop; that is where she got the green veil.
In the spring of 1856, the [Willie] handcart company with whom she was supposed to cross the plains, was detained…[until] 15 July 1856, [at] Iowa City… Several carts were drawn by young girls exclusively. Lucy, my grandmother, was one of these. She had just turned 23 years old in May… The journey to Florence, 277 miles, was made in a little less than four weeks. The Willie Company reached there [on] August 11, 1856. Here, they are delayed for repairs… It was not without some hesitation that these companies left Florence at so late a date… A monster meeting was called to consult with the people about it.
…The men all talked at the meeting just mentioned, and all, with one exception, favored going on. Levi Savage declared that they could not cross the mountains with a company of aged people, woman, and little children so late in the season without much suffering and sickness and death…. Savage was voted down.
…Cold weather, scarcity of food, lassitude and fatigue from over exertion soon produced their effects… My grandmother said a fine old man had a handcart next to her and, when they came to the Platt River, she was stronger than he and she waded [across] and took his cart, then went back and got hers… The next night, the man died.
At this time, the Salt Lake Conference in Salt Lake, 6 October 1856, was taking place and Brigham Young was sending a rescue party to the stranded handcart companies. My Grandfather, James Barnet Cole, went with them. One night, he dreamed he would meet his future wife with the stranded Saints. He even was shown what she looked like. She had fur cap and green veil tied over her cap to keep the wind off, and she was very beautiful. He told his dream to Brother Kimball and he remarked, “We will see no beautiful girl with a [fur] cap and green veil in those frozen Saints.”
The Handcart Companies traveled on in misery and sorrow day after day. As they were resting for a short time at noon, a light wagon was driven into camp from the west. The occupants were Joseph A. Young and Stephen Taylor. They informed the Saints that a train of supplies was on the way and they could expect to meet it in day or two…
On this fatal morning, therefore, they had no issue [of flour]. However, they had a barrel or two of hard bread which Captain Willey had produced at Fort Laramie in view of their destitution… Two of the broken-down cattle were killed and their carcasses issued for beef. With this, they were informed that they must subsist until the coming supplies reached them.
The rescue relief started from Salt Lake on October 6, 1846… [By October 15th], the relief trains reached the… South Pass…[where] they were overtaken by a severe storm… At Willow Creek… [into camp rode Captains] J.G. Willie and Joseph Elder of the fourth Handcart Company, on the evening of October 20. They reported the immigrants were freezing and starving. All would perish if help did not reach them soon. Early next morning, the rescue party pushed on and, by night, arrived at the destitute encampment. They had come in time to save most of these people’s lives.
Grandmother Lucy remembered this day, October 21, 1856, all the rest of her life. When the saints first saw their captain returning, they could hardly believe it. He had been gone three days and probably given up for dead… When the people caught sight of the train coming, they shouted, they cried, they threw off all restraint and freely embraced their deliverers. Just then, William Kimball caught sight of Lucy Ward in the green veil. He drove up to her and said, “Brother Jim, there is your dream girl. James Barnet Cole asked her to get in the wagon and her reply was, “No, I don’t know you.”… Anyway, she got used to the idea of having him around because, on the way to Salt Lake, on November 2, [1856], they were married at Fort Bridger by William Kimball.
They stayed over the winter at Fort Supply to guard the supplies and for Grandfather to nurse Grandmother back to health.
Brother Joseph
Pioneer John